Democrats to resume budget negotiations with Trump

Democrats will head to the White House on Thursday, the eve of a possible government shutdown, to resume budget negotiations with President Trump and GOP leaders, according to a joint statement from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

"We're glad the White House has reached out and asked for a second meeting," the lawmakers said. "We hope the president will go into this meeting with an open mind, rather than deciding that an agreement can’t be reached beforehand."

Pelosi and Schumer canceled a planned Nov. 28 meeting with Trump after the president tweeted he was doubtful a budget compromise could be reached.

The lawmakers noted they continue to seek parity between increases in defense and non-defense spending.

"We need to reach a budget agreement that equally boosts funds for our military and key priorities here at home including the opioid crisis, pension plans and rural infrastructure," they said. "We have to provide funding for community health centers and [the Child Health Improvement Program], as well as relief for the millions of Americans still reeling from natural disasters. And we must also come together on a bipartisan deal to pass the DREAM Act along with tough border security measures. There is a bipartisan path forward on all of these items."

The federal government is currently operating under a stopgap continuing resolution set to expire Friday. Failure to reach or extend the CR will result in a government shutdown.

The House Appropriations Committee has introduced legislation to extend the CR to Dec. 22 in hopes of finding a bipartisan deal to increase defense and non-defense spending above caps mandated by the 2011 Budget Control Act.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX) has said he would support the two-week CR extension, but seeks assurances from GOP leadership that fiscal year 2018 defense spending will be increased.

In partnership with Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ), Thornberry helped pass an FY-18 defense authorization bill that broke the BCA's defense cap by nearly $80 billion. Senate appropriators, meanwhile, have offered a defense spending bill that exceeds the cap by $32 billion.

"For me personally, I've told leadership I can't go beyond Christmas,” he told Inside Defense in a Saturday interview at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said Saturday the CR extension would lay the groundwork for a two-year deal.

"I cannot tell you there will not be another CR because there will be another CR next week," he said. "But this is the difference -- it will be a two-week CR so we can stop having CRs in the future. The only reason we're going into a two-week CR is because we're in negotiations in the caps."